THE TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION OF INTEGRATING THE VALUES OF MALAYSOCIETY IN ENGLISH LEARNING AT STATE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 1 IN TANJUNGPURA REGENCY OF NORTH SUMATERA PROVINCE

Abstract

English learning in Indonesia is important to support Indonesia to become a part of global society without reducing the local values of Indonesia people especially Malay society. This study aimed to analyze teachers' perceptions of the integration of Malay local wisdom values in English language learning. This study applied qualitative method by administrating questionnaires and interviewing the respondents. The respondents were 2 English teachers at State Junior High School 1 in Tanjung Pura regency of North Sumatera. The results showed that the teachers viewed the integration of Malay local wisdom values as a positive strategy to increase students' motivation and engagement in English learning. Moreover, they saw the potential of embedding values such as harmony, cooperation, and respect for nature, to support more meaningful and contextualized learning. However, they also expressed challenges in identifying and integrating elements of local wisdom that were in line with English learning objectives. The implication of the results of this study is the need for the development of guidelines and training for teachers to effectively integrate Malay local wisdom in English curriculum and teaching.